49ers’ grades vs. Falcons, Jan. 20

Offense

After his running was the story against the Packers, Colin Kaepernick accentuated his arm. After the first two drives, he completed 15 of 18 passes for 232 yards with a TD and no turnovers. QB rating over that span: 137.3. With the Falcons braced to stop Kaepernick on read-options, Frank Gore and LaMichael James gouged Atlanta’s middle, and combined for 124 yards, 4.8 yards a carry and three TDs. Long-invisible tight end Vernon Davis (five catches, 106 yards) re-emerged for another memorable January performance, and the offensive line didn’t allow a sack in the final 47 minutes. Michael Crabtree’s fumble at the 1-yard line could have haunted the 49ers all offseason.

Defense

That’s an F for the first half (17 first downs, 24 points and 297 yards allowed) and an A for the final two quarters (10 first downs, no points and 180 yards). Sound fair? Linebacker NaVorro Bowman’s breakup of Matt Ryan’s fourth-down pass will become part of franchise lore and capped the defensive recovery. Other linebacker highlights: Ahmad Brooks batted down a pass from Ryan one play earlier. Aldon Smith went sackless for the fifth straight game, but his third-quarter fumble recovery was critical. Patrick Willis had a game-high 12 tackles.

Special Teams

David Akers. What will the 49ers do with him? The struggling placekicker missed his only attempt, a 38-yarder, that could have gotten the 49ers at least to overtime if Atlanta had scored a touchdown in the final minutes. Punter Andy Lee (48.3-yard net average) was brilliant and was a big reason Atlanta started its average drive at its 23. The 49ers allowed only 6 return yards. All five of Akers’ five kickoffs produced touchbacks, and Atlanta’s Harry Douglas averaged 2.0 yards on three punt returns.

Coaching

Trailing 17-0 early in the second quarter, offensive coordinator Greg Roman didn’t panic. His next four play calls were runs by Gore, which picked up 9, 1, 3 and 7 yards and kick-started an 11-play, 80-yard TD drive. If the 49ers had lost, of course, there would have been questions about why Kaepernick’s legs weren’t utilized more. He had 21 yards on two carries against a defense with a poor track record against running QBs.

OVERALL

After 18 years, the 49ers will return to the Super Bowl, thanks to a gritty performance after they fell into a 17-0 hole. Yes, the NFL’s biggest game is up next, but the questions about whether the stage will be too big for Kaepernick can be put to rest. Nine starts into his career, it appears nerves will not be problem.